Upcoming Gardening Events: June 2025

A group of Master Gardener volunteers engaged in conversation with community members in a horticultural setting, surrounded by various plants and gardening supplies.

(Image credit: Allie Mullin )

Ask A Master Gardener

The Ask a Master Gardener Program is an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions about gardening and learn more about the NC State Extension Master GardenerSM program. Durham County Master Gardener volunteers are available to provide answers using research-based information about plants and plant problems.

You’ll find Master Gardener volunteers at the following community events ready for your questions: 

Sunday, June 8, 3-6 : World Hunger Day, Downtown Durham’s Farmer’a Market at Central Park, Durham.

Saturday, June 14, 4 -9 : Auroraflow’s Annual Pride Block Party, 607 William Vickers Ave, Durham

Saturday, June 21, 9-12 : 4th Annual Durham Bee Day Celebration, Durham Central Park, Durham

Saturday, June 21, 9 -12 : Durham Farmer’s Market at Central Park, Durham

Sunday, June 22, 10-3 : Museum of Life and Science-Pollinator Week , 433 W Murray Ave, Durham

Saturday, June 28, 9-12 : South Durham Farmer’s Market, 500 Park Offices Dr. (parking lot), Durham

A customer interacting with a vendor at a garden market stall, surrounded by various plants under a blue canopy.

(Image credit: Allie Mullin)

JC Raulston Arboretum

Southeastern Plant Symposium and Rare Plant Auction Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13, 2025. Hosted by the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden Click here for more info and to register

Sarah P. Duke Garden

Pollinator Paradise: Cultivating Gardens That Support Bees, Butterflies, and Beyond (virtual)

Tuesday, June 17, noon-1 p.m. Zoom
With Neeti Bathala, professor, author, gardener and graduate of the Nicholas School of the Environment

Join Dr. Neeti Bathala for an engaging lecture on the vital role of pollinators in sustaining ecosystems and food production. Discover native plants and flowers that attract and nourish a variety of pollinator species and gain practical insights into designing year-round blooming gardens—even in small spaces or containers. Participants will also learn how to take actionable steps for conservation and participate in citizen science by reporting pollinator observations.

Fee: Free for members; registration required. Click here for more info and to register

Plants and Pollinators in the Pocket Prairie

Saturday, June 21, 9-11 a.m.
With Maegan Luckett, horticulturist of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants at Duke Gardens  

Did you know a prairie can grow in a parking lot? Southeastern native prairie plants can be an attractive, low maintenance alternative to sod in underutilized urban areas such as parking lots. Additionally, unlike sod, these pocket prairies can also be beneficial to pollinators such as birds and butterflies. Visit a Duke Gardens pocket prairie project in a nearby parking lot for a show-and-tell demonstration of the way the ecological benefits of prairies can coexist with a built environment. You’ll leave with a plant list and an appreciation for the power of prairie plants.   

Fee: $18; 20% discount for Duke Gardens members with discount code. click here for more info and to register

Healing Ukraine: Botanical Gardens in a Time of War — a Model of International Collaboration (virtual)

Tuesday, June 24, noon-1 p.m.
With Emilee Weaver, Manager of Therapeutic Horticulture at North Carolina Botanical Garden, Tony Allison, Board President of Partnerships for Nature, a US non-profit organization that works closely with Ukrainian botanical gardens and Dr. Andriy Prokopiv, Director of Lviv University Botanical Garden in Ukraine  

Join us for a timely webinar about Ukrainian botanical gardens and their critical role during the ongoing war with Russia. Since the Russian invasion in early 2022, Ukraine’s botanical gardens have been serving as centers of respite, recovery, environmental education, and nature healing. Leaders from several Ukrainian gardens will describe their current focus on Therapeutic Horticulture, utilizing US expertise provided primarily by North Carolina Botanical Garden to assist the traumatized population of their country, including veterans and displaced families. Ukrainian botanical garden leaders will provide vivid images of their gardens and their work and will discuss the crucial support from US partners. The webinar will conclude with a question-and-answer session and will explain how you can assist these efforts.

Fee: Free; registration required.  Click here for more info and to register

Durham County Public Library

GET STARTED WITH CONTAINER GARDENING

No yard? No problem! Join Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Monica Mense to learn how to grow fresh herbs, veggies, and more in small spaces. Perfect for apartment dwellers, renters, or anyone…

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025

Time:11:00am – 12:30pm

Location: South Meeting Room, South Regional Library (4505 S. Alston Ave)

Click here for more info and to register

FIREFLIES!

Is it a firefly or lightening bug? Why are fireflies disappearing? Where do fireflies live? What do the flashes mean? When can you see fireflies?  Join Dr. Clyde Sorenson of the NC State Department of Entomology to learn more about the these glowing beetles! 

Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Location: Main AuditoriumLocation:Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St)

Click here for more info and to register

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Upcoming Gardening Events: May 2025

Image credit: Allie Mullin

The Ask a Master Gardener Program is an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions about gardening and learn more about the NC State Extension Master GardenerSM  program. Durham County Master Gardener volunteers are available to provide answers using research-based information about plants and plant problems. In May, you will find Master Gardener volunteers at the following community events ready for your questions:

Hub Farm Spring Soils Festival | Sat May 3rd, 10 a.m.  – 1 p.m. The DPS Hub Farm, 117 Milton Rd., Durham NC 27712

Museum of Life and Science-Bird Bonanza | Sun May 4th, 10 a.m.  – 3 p.m. 433 W Murray Avenue, Durham, NC 27704

El Futuro-Mother’s Day Kermes | Sun May 4th, 4 p.m.  – 7 p.m. ,2020 Chapel Hill Rd #23, Durham, NC 27707

Durham Farmer’s Market at Central Park | Sat May 10th and May 17, 8 a.m.  – noon , 501 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701

North Durham Farmers’ Market | Sat May 17th, noon  – 4 p.m. 1016 Old Oxford Rd. Durham, NC 27704

South Durham Farmers Market | Sat May 24th, 9 a.m.  – noon 500 Park Offices Dr. (parking lot), Durham, NC 27560

Museum of Life and Science-Party for the Planet | Sun May 25th 10 a.m.  – 3 p.m. 433 W Murray Ave, Durham, NC 27704

NC Botanical Gardens

Spring Native Plant Sale, May 3 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Pre-registration required 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. One registration allows all people in your vehicle to access to the plant sale. No registration required 12 – 2 p.m. https://ncbg.unc.edu/event/spring-native-plant-sale/

Durham County Library

Get Started With Container Gardening, May 17, 2025, 11:00 AM- 12: 30 PM. Join Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Monica Mense to learn how to grow fresh herbs, veggies, and more in small spaces. South Meeting Room, South Regional Library (4505 S. Alston Ave)

Tree Hazards: Identify, Prevent, and Correct Hazardous Trees! Join Jesse Breden, Knotty By Nature Tree Specialist, for a tour of the Main Library trees. Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10:00am – 11:00am,MakerLab, Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St)

Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5Qh